When editor and stylist Lucy Bamman departed for her recent trip to Jaipur, she made sure to pack some of her favorite pieces from the Marigold Living collection—including pillowcases, makeup bags, napkins and, of course, scarves. That’s because Lucy always likes to feel at home, even when she’s a world away on the lookout for iconic designs to write about and share.
“New and old, beauty is everywhere here,” Lucy wrote on Instagram during her stay in the famous Pink City. That meeting of modernity and heritage is exactly what appeals to her about Marigold Living textiles—and it’s the approach she takes to all interior design.
Working as the Market & Luxury Editor at MILIEU Magazine, the Contributing Luxury & Jewelry Editor at Veranda Magazine and as a freelance stylist, Lucy has had the opportunity to travel all over the world. Here are her tips for finding inspiration on your travels—and for weaving tasteful and worldly design touches throughout your home.
(All images of India are original photos taken by Lucy.)
Carry the Feeling of Home Wherever You Go
“Personal touches here and there, and a routine you can return to again and again, certainly make a space feel more like home.”
Q: How do you make your hotel room feel like a home away from home?
A: Traveling often for work and pleasure, I have my hotel room routine down to a tee. I always bring my lightweight, cotton blue and white robe from home and promptly hang it on the hook in the hotel bathroom upon unpacking my suitcase. Yes, I always unpack my suitcase. Personal touches here and there, and a routine you can return to again and again, certainly make a space feel more like home.
Create a Mood with Favorite Pieces
“As close as I’ll ever get to an Old Hollywood bedtime moment.”
Q: What’s one thing you can’t travel without?
A: A Slip bubblegum pink, silk eye mask. It’s as close as I’ll ever get to a Jean Harlow, Old Hollywood bedtime moment.
Offset Intricate Details with a Feeling of Lightness
“There is a lightness to the architecture in Jaipur that allows for every inch of its buildings to be covered in detail without feeling heavy.”
Q: What are some of your favorite spots you visited in India that satisfied the design lover in you?
A: Stepping inside the Insta-famous blue room, Chhavi Niwas, inside Jaipur’s City Palace, left the design lover in me so truly worried that I will never step into a space more beautiful again. There is a lightness to the architecture in Jaipur that allows for every inch of its buildings to be covered in detail without feeling heavy. The Chhavi Niwas was created as a covered space for the Royal Family to enjoy the summer monsoons, so the room is open on two sides, allowing fresh air to whirl throughout space adding to the allure of the design.
Make the Most of Every New Adventure
“Be careful not to over-research… allow for an element of surprise and discovery. If you dedicate an entire week to one city, you will really get to know a place and its intricacies.”
Q: Any advice for seeking inspiration in a new city?
A: Do your research, but be careful not to over-research. Prior to visiting Jaipur, both the City Palace and the Amber Fort were on my bucket-list of sites to visit. However, I specifically didn’t dive too far into the spaces prior to visiting to allow for an element of surprise and discovery. In the era of Instagram, so much is available just at our fingertips. Resist the urge to dive in prior to experiencing in person.
One other piece of advice: give yourself enough time in each city you visit. So often, when traveling to a faraway distance, travelers pack too many places into one trip, resulting in far too much time getting from point a to point b. If you dedicate an entire week to one city, instead of the typical 2 or 3 days, you will really get to know a place and its intricacies, as opposed to simply popping in and out and hitting the highlights.
Find Home Design Inspiration in Fashion (and Vice Versa)
“I would die to own a dress or caftan made from the same block print fabric as my favorite Marigold Living pillowcases.”
Our Florence-Gina reversible pillowcases looking regal on the bed in Rambagh Palace, Jaipur!
Q: Some say that fashion influences your interiors choices and vice versa. Do you notice parallels in how you dress and decorate?
A: YES! Growing up in the South, my mother didn’t allow me to wear black clothing until I was 10 years old—she thought it was too mature for a little girl to wear. As a result, I never really have found my way to black clothing, even after a decade of living in New York. I like to wear pale feminine colors and warm earth tones, and these are the colors I want to live in and around as well. I despise most black furniture, and bright/bold primary color combinations are unapproachable to me. I would die to own a dress or caftan made from the same block print fabric as my favorite Marigold Living pillowcases.
Incorporate Simple, Worldly Touches
“I collect sophisticated postcards from museums, matches, pairs of espresso cups—[they] bring a smile to my face whenever I see them.”
Q: Do you ever incorporate eclectic souvenirs from travels into your home? What should one look for in a keepsake?
A: I collect sophisticated postcards from museums around the world, or of the flora and fauna of an exotic locale I visit. Upon returning home, I pop one into a frame to create an inexpensive reminder of a place I love. I have also matted a selection of eight or nine similar postcards and had the group framed as another reminder of a faraway land that will easily sit in one’s home. Matches are another inexpensive go-to that can easily be set about, but more recently I have been purchasing pairs of espresso cups. I have compiled quite a cute little collection over the course of the past few years, and they all sit happily together, this eclectic mix, on an open shelf near my kitchen and bring a smile to my face whenever I see them.
Fall in Love with Indian Florals
“I love floral patterns from India’s Mughal period… depicted in rich hues that make their charm and exoticism irresistible.”
Q: We love seeing our Marigold Living textiles back in their homeland. What do you think the most stand-out part of Indian design is?
A: I love floral patterns from India’s Mughal period—these designs have been translated into textiles, paintings, and have even inspired some of the twentieth centuries most iconic jewelry collections. The lotus, lilies, and of course marigolds, are depicted in rich hues that make their charm and exoticism irresistible.
Balance Maximalism with an Eye to Consistent Themes
“I believe that [a] tailored uniform approach to pattern should be translated in one’s home. Maximalism must be very well executed.”
Q: Are there any fresh ideas you picked up from your exposure to Indian design that you can see incorporated into your daily lifestyle and a modern American home?”
A: The tailoring of the clothes in India was very inspiring—simple, and incredibly well cut. While loose and conservative, traditional Indian silhouettes are far less “flowy” than I had imagined, and more formal, which I like. The mixture of motifs was intentional and regulated. I believe that tailored and uniform approach to pattern should also be translated in one’s home, especially when looking at today’s new “more is more” design trend. Maximalism must be very well executed.
Combine Traditional Patterns with Modern Color Schemes
“Marigold Living does this well in that the motifs chosen are very traditional, but the color palette used is a bit updated.”
Our Janvi design feels right at home on the bed and on the breakfast table in the glorious sun-filled room at the Oberoi, Rajvilas, Jaipur
Q: We like to think our textiles are a modern spin on Indian classics. What’s the trick to combining traditional and modern design in one space successfully?
A: Marigold Living does this well in that the motifs chosen are very traditional, but the color palette used is a bit updated. Try a traditional American Windsor Chair—the silhouette is undeniably classic—but paint it a fawn gray, a deep marine blue or an ochre yellow, and you’ve updated the traditional with a punch of modern color. The same goes for re-upholstering other traditional chairs. Grandmother’s pair of French bergères re-upholstered in a geometric cut-velvet textile is an easy way to bring color or youth into a space. Try a modern paint color on traditional kitchen cabinets, built-in shelves, or even the ceiling of a room.
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